5 Eye Makeup Brushes That Are Perfect for Beginners

Applying eye shadow is so intimidating that most of my friends doesn't even mess with the stuff. I've never be able to understand their apprehension because I've always had an appreciation for makeup brushes. And if you ask professional makeup artists, a decent brush is truly the key to good eye makeup. If you're an eye shadow novice, deciding which tool to use can be difficult. With that in mind, one Redditor took to the MakeupAddiction subreddit for some advice.

In a thread titled, "Best eye brushes for beginners," Chxrmantt wrote, "Your girl is a beginner to makeup, and I don't know which eye brush set (or singles) to buy. I have read many mixed opinions about face brushes from E.L.F., RT [Real Techniques], Ecotools, Morphe, etc., but not many eye brush opinions. Can anyone recommend any really good eye brushes?"

crimson1780 recommend the Eye Makeup Starter Kit, which includes five different brushes. Start off by sweeping color all over your lid with the base shadow brush. Then, add definition with the accent brush, and blend out the color with the deluxe crease brush. There's also a fine liner brush for liquid or cream formula application and brow brush for powders and pomades.

"I really love that Ecotools double-ended eyeshadow brush set," PhantaVal wrote on the thread. "I think I use it more that my more expensive It Cosmetics set."Another user, called nella20, agreed. "I also love the convenience of these," she said. "Four brushes taking up the space of two."

Because M.A.C. doesn't offer brush sets, allwordsaredust suggests two of her go-to eye makeup brushes. "Honestly, I'd recommend investing in the M.A.C. 217 and M.A.C. 239, which should serve you well for a complete eye look," they wrote. "It's all I used for a while, and some days the 239 is the only brush I use despite working with three to five shades and having more brushes available." One Redditor hilariously called crazyauntkanye added that the 217 is a "literal game changer" for blending eye shadow.

For less than $16, you'll get 11 different makeup brushes to use for a full face of makeup. Among that selection, there are six specifically designed for eye makeup, and hisownshot considers them their favorites to use. Another user, linkinnnn, added that the brushes are "so affordable, and they really work well for the price."

My personal favorite is not actually an eye shadow brush. It was actually made with applying concealer with precision in mind. I prefer it for shadow, though, because it's just stiff enough to pack on pigment. But it's also fluffy enough to blend out the edges. I've created entire eye makeup looks with just that brush because you can just flip the triangular-shaped brush to another side when you want to switch shades.